WALTHAM, Mass. – With a sweep of Colby College today, 13-6
and 7-3, the Brandeis University softball team earned back-to-back
20-win seasons for the first time in school history. The Judges,
who improved to 21-17 with the victories, also earned their first
winning season since 2003 and the second-highest win total in
school history.

Brandeis reached the 20-win plateau with an offensive outburst in
game one, 13-7. The Judges went deep three times. They had
back-to-back blasts in their nine-run third inning, as senior
Marissa Rubin (Teaneck, N.J.) belted a three-run shot and rookie
Chelsea Korp (Worcester, Mass.) followed with a solo shot. It was
the first round-tripper of the season for Rubin and the third of
the campaign for Korp. Senior Christina McWilliams (Billerica,
Mass.) also went deep in her final home appearance, a solo job in
the fifth. In all, five Judges had multi-hit games in the opener.
Rubin and Korp both finished with three RBI, while sophomore 3B
Samantha Worth (Londonderry, N.H.) had two runs batted in. Junior
Kaitlin Streilein (Point Pleasant, N.J.) earned the victory to even
her record at 5-5 this season.

Colby (15-13) was paced by senior RF Miki Starr (Dunbarton, N.H.)
in the opener. Starr went 1-3 with a double and two RBI. Senior CF
Amy Palmer (Quispamis, N.B.) was 2-4 with a run scored and a stolen
base for the Mules. Junior Amanda Roehn (Tampa, Fla.) suffered the
loss and fell to 1-3 on the season.

In the second game, Streilein opened the bottom of the first with a
mammoth home run to left field, her 11th of the season to lead the
Judges. Colby tied the score in the third when sophomore 1B Randi
Arsenault (So. Paris, Maine) scored on an error.

The Judges reclaimed the lead in the third on a pair of wild
pitches and extended the lead with a four-run fifth as four
Brandeis hitters struck doubles. Two more Mule runs came home in
the sixth on an error, but rookie Emily Vaillette (Milford, N.H.)
worked out of trouble to clinch the 7-3 win and improve to 5-4.

Brandeis was paced in game two by Streilein, who went 2-3 with a
home run, a double, one RBI and two runs scored. Korp and junior RF
Natalie Volpe (Southington, Conn.) also went 2-3 with a double each
and two runs scored. Volpe drove in two runs, while Korp plated
one.

Colby had a pair of multiple hitters, as sophomore DP Carlie
Minichino (Stratford, Conn.) went 2-4 with a run scored, while
Arsenault was 2-3 with an RBI and run scored. Rookie Brittany Tasi
(Shelton, Conn.) suffered the loss to fall to 2-3 on the season.